paper-split bullets

[45-70.gov]

i was casting yesterday  and got lube in the cavity
i put paper into the cavity and cast....just to see if that cleaned it...it did
then dropped them back into the pot and smoked the mold over the pot
then  got the idea  to ''clamp'' a paper towel into the mold...and got to thinking..[dangerous]
decided to try  phone book paper...rather than paper towel
held it only in the front half of the bullet.....so the base wouldn't split
i  took one and squeezed with pliers....the nose forked  nicely
i have not  shot any yet
HAS ANY ONE ELSE?


i think i read something about it some where years ago
[BTW  this is with a 158 swc for 38 spl]

[Bugflipper]

Yes sir been doing it for years. With wheel weight alloy I don't get as much expansion as I would want a lot of times for hunting. With the split nose the petals will open up.
Another simple expanding bullet: A pure lead ball ( or smaller caliber bullet) just cast is put in the nose. Then WWA poured in. They usually expand pretty good as well.

[45-70.gov]

Yes sir been doing it for years. With wheel weight alloy I don't get as much expansion as I would want a lot of times for hunting. With the split nose the petals will open up.
Another simple expanding bullet: A pure lead ball ( or smaller caliber bullet) just cast is put in the nose. Then WWA poured in. They usually expand pretty good as well.

did you try different paper??
how  deep was the paper?
i tried to put it  about half way...just behind the crimp groove
my  alloy was pure lead...only for short barreled 38s

[Bugflipper]

I've always just done half the bullet. In a deer they will open and fold over. Looking like a normal bullet mushroom. Instead of being round they look more like a 0 though. I guess oval. I use newspaper, don't think I ever tried anything else. I use pure lead in the muzzleloaders and they do fine. The closest I have to compare to a 38 is a 40 muzzleloader launching a 40 cal pistol bullet. The biggest thing I shot was a pig and it did good. He got it from north to south and it ended up near the south exit. I'd say it opened up to a little over an inch wide. He fell right over and started digging a hole. Made it maybe 5-10 seconds or so and quit digging his hole. I figured he was running away but didn't know he fell over on his side.

[Lloyd Smale]

some guys used to experiment with aluimum foil in the nose of a bullet to create a split. I guess i look at it like this. I dont want my cast bullets to fracture. At least not for anything i want to shoot and eat. Id rather have a bullet that expanded if i wanted quicker kills. Two part bullets with soft noses arent hard to make if your looking for something like that. they will hold together and retain there weight to insure penetration too.